]]>By: Christopherhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564486
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:48:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564486I saw the television special several times–at least three times at school that I remember (on an old projector), and at least once at church.

Sadly I feel like the message of some parts of it, particularly “William Wants A Doll” would be considered too controversial now, even in the relatively liberal Presbyterian church where I was brought up. Then again I haven’t been back there in twenty years, so it may not be “relatively liberal” anymore. And I wonder what kind of ruckus would be raised if it were shown in school.

I’d rather live in a world where the story of “William Wants A Doll” wouldn’t be controversial but also wouldn’t make sense because there would be nothing odd about a boy wanting a doll.

]]>By: jhhlhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564416
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:09:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564416That’s “Paddle to the Sea,” visible on the National Film Board of Canada website: http://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_sea/
]]>By: Jonathan Badgerhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564348
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:19:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564348I’m in my early 40s and remember that there were two movies that seemed to be shown in grade school (mid 1970s) every year — F2B and the one about the carved Indian in a kayak making its way to the sea.
]]>By: lysdexiahttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564251
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:57:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564251“A doll! A doll! Corey wants a Doll!”
]]>By: lysdexiahttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564254
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:57:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564254(Yes, I was raised on it, too …)
]]>By: Steve Whitehttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564157
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:56:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564157I raised my twins on the DVD re-release. I have some favorite moments from the TV Special and Rosey Greer singing It’s All Right to Cry has to be on of the tops. And Mel Brooks as a baby puppet.
]]>By: knoxbloxhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563995
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:19:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563995Yeah, I was completely entranced by F2B when I was growing up (I’m now 45). To this day, you could tell me one of the song titles from the TV show, and I could hum the melody, and maybe even get some of the lyrics right.

I remember enjoying this so much mainly because I was a big fan of Marlo Thomas as a very young boy, and my parents were fans of Alan Alda. I remember my dad receiving a handwritten letter from Alan Alda in response to his fan mail (at the height of M*A*S*H), and it struck me – what a great guy, who would personally answer a piece of fan mail (I sure hope it wasn’t written by an assistant).

One of the topics I would have added in the discussion about a new Free to Be would have been tolerance, particularly religious tolerance. Then we could ship a few million copies of the new Free to Be to both the American ultra-conservative-mega-cult-churches and the Taliban. I wonder if that would help things (lol)?

]]>By: lorqhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563981
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:36:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563981Thanks for this post. I too was inspired as a kid by F2BY&M.
]]>By: Taviehttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563931
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:26:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563931My sister and I were raised on Free to Be…, too. Great memories there, and it was my first exposure to performers like Alan Alda, Carol Channing, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross…

]]>By: Shibi_SFhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563926
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:14:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563926Thanks for this trip back to the old days! I didn’t know any of this backstory. I just grew up idolizing Margo Thomas. I had the Free to Be album and I remember reading the liner notes and wondering what the words all really meant. I liked the music, too!
]]>By: Antinous / Moderatorhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563916
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:57:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563916The Seekers were fantastic. The New Seekers not so much.
]]>By: Boundegarhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563905
Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:40:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563905God this music is horrible. I feel dirty.
]]>